Existing mobile devices (e.g., cellular phones, smart phones, personal digital assistants, etc.) include navigation systems that allow the mobile device to be used as a navigation device. The navigation systems receive positioning signals from Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites and use the GPS information in conjunction with existing mapping software and services and stored maps to locate the mobile navigation device on an image of a map. For example, a known Garmin™ navigation device contains a multitude of maps stored on nonvolatile storage. The Garmin™ navigation device tracks the current location of the device and displays this location on one of the stored maps. The Garmin™ navigation device also displays the compass direction of the map as well as latitude and longitude coordinates for the maps.
Web-based navigation systems, such as Google Maps™ system and MapQuest™ system, are also known where the maps are stored in and accessed from a web server. When a mobile device accesses a web-based navigation system, the mobile device sends to the web server the current GPS location of the mobile device and receives from the web server, a map encompassing the current GPS location of the mobile device. The mobile device then displays the retrieved map on a screen along with the location of the mobile device as a point on the map and compass directions for the map orientation.
US Publication 2011/0282570 by Tanioka discloses a mobile device which extracts information, such as street names, addresses and destinations, from a map image and an address image, and uses the information to plot a route to the destination location. US2011/0282570 by Tanioka communicates the extracted information, information regarding an approximate geographic location of the mobile device, and/or information regarding a desired starting geographic location for routing other than the mobile device's present location to a mapping service server. In response, the mapping service server communicates to the mobile device an image of a map as well as routing information for navigating to the destination. The routing information is overlaid and displayed on the map image and the routing information may include one or more graphical elements, such as a present location, a starting location, a destination location, a route to be taken, a geographical orientation and a geographical landmark obtained from either a GPS system, user provided data or a mapping service server.
US Publication 2003/0078725 by Koyama displays a present position obtained by a positioning system, for example, a GPS system, on a map of a vicinity of the present position. US 2003/0078725 by Koyama uses a device with a line sensor or other input means for reading a map. The device reads a map of the vicinity of the present position, converts the map into bitmapped data and stores the data in a memory for subsequent display.
US 2003/0078725 by Koyama also carries out input operations of two user-defined reference points when the read map is displayed. A user defines a point that is a distinct position on the map, and in response, the device determines the point's GPS absolute coordinates and stores them in the memory. The process is repeated for a second user-defined point that is a distinct position on the map. The device then calculates its present position on the map based on triangle relationships among positions of three points, using the absolute coordinates positions of the two reference point positions and the absolute coordinates position of the present position obtained by the GPS receiver positioning system. The calculated present position on the map is represented by a mark on the map displayed.